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Vishal Dadlani apologises to Jain monk for his ‘hurtful’ tweets

Music composer-singer Vishal Dadlani met Jain monk Tarun
Sagar in Chandigarh and sought forgiveness for the “hurtful” tweets about him
last month. Vishal apologised as the Jain tradition of seeking ‘Panch Mafee’,
that includes folding hands, bowing head and hold ears.

Taran Sagar said he had already forgiven the composer-singer
and would appeal to his community to forgive him and treat the matter as
closed.

Last month, Vishal had invited a lot of backlash on social
media after he mocked the Jain monk addressing the Haryana Assembly, calling it
“monkery of democracy.” He also referred to the religious leader’s lack of
attire. Several people filed police complaint against the artist for
disrespecting the monk and hurting religious sentiments.

Tarun Sagar appealed to those who had filed FIRs against
Vishal to withdraw the cases and said, “Anyone can make a mistake, even me, it
is not a big thing. But realisation of the same is important and one should
forgive such a person."

Speaking to reporters later, Vishal said, “I apologised over
Twitter 32 times and Tarun Sagarji also forgave me... I wanted to come
personally earlier, but there was an FIR against me. I did not want the people
to think I wanted to come here only because a case had been slapped against me.”

Vishal, however, maintained his stance that religion and
governance should be kept completely separate, in the secular interest of the nation.

"I felt it from my heart that my remarks had generated
so much controversy and caused so much hurt. What I had wanted to say is that
religion and governance should not be mixed. What people understood from that
tweet of mine was unfortunate. It was not my intention to hurt anyone's
sentiments. What I had said was as per the Constitution, religion and
governance should not be mixed because we are a secular nation," He said.

According to reports, Vishal reached the Digambar Jain
Temple at around 9.30 am on Wednesday morning (September 21) and held a
closed-door meeting with the monk which lasted for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, Ambala Cantt ACP Suresh Kaushik and Ambala
(Sadar) SHO Ajeet Singh questioned him and inquired about the electronic device
through which the tweet was posted. The police will submit its report to the
court on September 23.